Capítulo 16

¹Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.'

¹耶和華對撒母耳說：我既厭棄掃羅作以色列的王，你為他悲傷要到幾時呢？你將膏油盛滿了角，我差遣你往伯利恆人耶西那裡去；因為我在他眾子之內，預定一個作王的。

²But Samuel said, 'How can I go? When Saul hears [of it], he will kill me.' And the LORD said, 'Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

²撒母耳說：我怎能去呢？掃羅若聽見，必要殺我。耶和華說：你可以帶一隻牛犢去，就說：我來是要向耶和華獻祭。

³'You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.'

³你要請耶西來吃祭肉，我就指示你所當行的事。我所指給你的人，你要膏他。

⁴So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, 'Do you come in peace?'

⁴撒母耳就照耶和華的話去行。到了伯利恆，那城裡的長老都戰戰兢兢地出來迎接他，問他說：你是為平安來的麼？

⁵He said, 'In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.' He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

⁵他說：為平安來的，我是給耶和華獻祭。你們當自潔，來與我同吃祭肉。撒母耳就使耶西和他眾子自潔，請他們來吃祭肉。

⁶When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, 'Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him.'

⁶他們來的時候，撒母耳看見以利押，就心裡說，耶和華的受膏者必定在他面前。

⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God [sees] not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'

⁷耶和華卻對撒母耳說：不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為，耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, 'The LORD has not chosen this one either.'

⁸耶西叫亞比拿達從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：耶和華也不揀選他。

⁹Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, 'The LORD has not chosen this one either.'

⁹耶西又叫沙瑪從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：耶和華也不揀選他。

¹⁰Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, 'The LORD has not chosen these.'

¹⁰耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：這都不是耶和華所揀選的。

¹¹And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are these all the children?' And he said, 'There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.' Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.'

¹¹撒母耳對耶西說：你的兒子都在這裡麼？他回答說：還有個小的，現在放羊。撒母耳對耶西說：你打發人去叫他來；他若不來，我們必不坐席。

¹²So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.'

¹²耶西就打發人去叫了他來。他面色光紅，雙目清秀，容貌俊美。耶和華說：這就是他，你起來膏他。

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

¹³撒母耳就用角裡的膏油，在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起，耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。

¹⁴Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.

¹⁴耶和華的靈離開掃羅，有惡魔從耶和華那裡來擾亂他。

¹⁵Saul's servants then said to him, 'Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

¹⁵掃羅的臣僕對他說：現在有惡魔從神那裡來擾亂你。

¹⁶'Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play [the harp] with his hand, and you will be well.'

¹⁶我們的主可以吩咐面前的臣僕，找一個善於彈琴的來，等神那裡來的惡魔臨到你身上的時候，使他用手彈琴，你就好了。

¹⁷So Saul said to his servants, 'Provide for me now a man who can play well and bring [him] to me.'

¹⁷掃羅對臣僕說：你們可以為我找一個善於彈琴的，帶到我這裡來。

¹⁸Then one of the young men said, 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.'

¹⁸其中有一個少年人說：我曾見伯利恆人耶西的一個兒子善於彈琴，是大有勇敢的戰士，說話合宜，容貌俊美，耶和華也與他同在。

¹⁹So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, 'Send me your son David who is with the flock.'

¹⁹於是掃羅差遣使者去見耶西，說：請你打發你放羊的兒子大衛到我這裡來。

²⁰Jesse took a donkey [loaded with] bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent [them] to Saul by David his son.

²⁰耶西就把幾個餅和一皮袋酒，並一隻山羊羔，都馱在驢上，交給他兒子大衛，送與掃羅。

²¹Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor bearer.

²¹大衛到了掃羅那裡，就侍立在掃羅面前。掃羅甚喜愛他，他就作了掃羅拿兵器的人。

²²Saul sent to Jesse, saying, 'Let David now stand before me, for he has found favor in my sight.'

²²掃羅差遣人去見耶西，說：求你容大衛侍立在我面前，因為他在我眼前蒙了恩。

²³So it came about whenever the [evil] spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play [it] with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.

²³從神那裡來的惡魔臨到掃羅身上的時候，大衛就拿琴，用手而彈，掃羅便舒暢爽快，惡魔離了他。